Tipster Greg Silva shares his method of using the Intersect command on two 3D objects to yield one complex 3D object.

"To create a 3D object that has compound angles, it is sometimes easier to use two different solids and the Intersect operation. Start by drawing two closed polyline shapes: one of the front view and one of the left-side view. Next, create a solid from the front view by extruding it to a depth equal to the widest part dimension of the left-side view. (In our example below, that would be a width of 10.1341.) To create the second solid, extrude the left-side view to a depth equal to the widest part on the front view. (In the example, that would be a width of 9.2703.) Rotate the shapes into their proper orientation and fit them together. When you have them aligned properly, use the Intersect command and select both of the newly created solids. Now you have a new solid that incorporates the compound angles."

Notes from Cadalyst Tip Patrol: There are three major 3D editing commands in AutoCAD: Subtract, Union, and Intersect. You can use these tools to create complex objects. Subtract will remove unwanted areas from your object. Union will combine two or more objects into one. With the Intersect command, your new object will be made from the common volume of two or more objects.

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